Three Biggest Moments that Helped Oklahoma State Beat Murray State in Week 3
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STILLWATER, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Cowboys wanted no part of being part of a trap game when they played the Murray State Racers on Saturday.
So they took care of business early, scoring 31 unanswered points in the first 30 minutes and finished with a 59-0 victory to improve to 2-1 for the season. It was the first time the Cowboys (2-1) won two games in a row since winning three in a row to start the 2024 season.
The Cowboys also improved to 34-0 against FCS teams. Murray State dropped to 1-3.
Here are the three biggest moments of Saturday’s game that led to the Cowboys winning the contest entering their prep week for their Big 12 opener against West Virginia.
Luke Webb’s Blocked Field Goal
Murray State was driving after the Oklahoma State Cowboys took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. In fact, the Racers were in the red zone after Dimitri Howard’s 38-yard catch moved the Racers into OSU territory. It was one of the few defensive mistakes the Cowboys made in the first half.
But the drive stopped at the Cowboys 14-yard line and the Racers opted for points, giving Tyler Dorn a shot a 31-yard field goal. But a delay of game penalty pushed the Racers back five yards. For the record, Dorn made the first kick. But he didn’t make the second.
His 36-yard attempt was blocked by Cowboys redshirt defensive lineman Luke Webb, who batted the ball with his left hand and ended the Racers’ best shot to score points in the first half.
It also sparked the Cowboys to their second touchdown of the game, which was quarterback Drew Mestemaker’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Young. The block and drive allowed the Cowboys to take control of the game.
Murray State’s Penalty Blows up Great Punt
Murray State had a great chance to pin the Cowboys inside their own 10-yard line with 11:40 left in the second quarter and down 21-0. Stuck at their own 20-yard line, Murray State punter Victor Kyatt kicked a line drive punt that went 71 yards and put the Cowboys at their own 9-yard line. But an illegal motion penalty nullified the punt, and the Racers had to punt it again.
Kyatt punted again and hit another boomer, this one was 60 yards. Miles Coleman was able to return this one to the Cowboys 47-yard line. It was a field position change of 38 yards and gave Oklahoma State favorable field position.
Even though the drive sputtered and led to a Sam Keltner field goal, the change in field position allowed the Cowboys to add points and scored for the fourth time in as many drives to start the game.
Terrence Lewis’s First Cowboys Touchdown
At halftime Morris told Cowboys Sports Network that he wasn’t happy with the Cowboys’ final offensive possession of the first half and said the group might have been getting too big for its “britches.” So, the offense was back on the field for the first possession of the second half and whatever Morris did or said worked.
The Cowboys started at their own 38-yard line after a pooch kickoff to start the second half and it took them three plays to score. Mestemaker threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game, this one to Terrence Lewis — who was starting in place of Chris Barnes. It was his first touchdown catch with the Cowboys after transferred in from North Texas after last season.
If there was any thought that OSU wasn’t going to carry an effective first half into the second half those thoughts ended with that touchdown catch.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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